Hyundai Sonata Debuts At Guangzhou Show In China

(Seoul, Korea) Hyundai Motor Company introduced two new models to the Chinese market at the 8th China (Guangzhou) International Automobile Exhibition: Its best-selling mid-size Sonata sedan and the five-door Verna.

The Sonata has enjoyed critical acclaim and surging sales, thanks to its superb styling, dynamic performance and exceptional value. The five-door Verna – built exclusively for the Chinese market -- was a natural follow-up to the success of the four-door version, which rolled out in August. Both the Sonata and Verna will be built in Beijing and go on sale as early as January.

“The game-changing, all-new Sonata will shift the landscape of the Chinese mid-size sedan market as it did in the U.S.,” said Jae-man Noh, President of Beijing Hyundai Motor Company, a 50-50 joint venture between Hyundai Motor and Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co. “Since its debut in the U.S. in February, the Sonata has posted explosive sales, becoming one of the best-selling sedans in a fiercely competitive segment in the U.S. We expect similar success when Sonata hits the Chinese market.”

Noh said Hyundai’s 2010 sales in China likely will top 700,000 units, up from 570,000 in 2009, thanks to popular models such as the Yuedong, ix35 and Verna. Hyundai will have an annual capacity of 1 million vehicles after its third plant in China is completed in 2012.

The critically acclaimed Sonata comes with 2.0-liter and 2.4-liter Theta-II engines and a six-speed automatic transmission. It sports a range of convenient features, including a three-piece panoramic sunroof, smart key and welcome function. The Sonata also offers best-in-class safety, being only one of two models that received a five-star crash test rating under the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA)’s New Car Assessment Program.

The five-door Verna comes with 1.4-liter and 1.6-liter Gamma engines. The 1.4-liter model delivers a peak output of 78.7Kw(108ps) and a maximum torque of 135.4N.m(13.9kg.m). The 1.6-liter model boasts 90.4Kw(124ps) and 155N.m(15.9kg.m).

The 1.4-liter base model Verna achieves fuel economy of 15.4km/ℓ. With the fuel-economy package, mileage rises to 16.1km/ℓ, best in its class.

The theme of the Ghangzhou Motor Show was “Tech & Future.” In addition to the new Sonata and Verna five-door, Hyundai showed a total of 19 models, including the Sonata Hybrid and BlueOn full-speed electric vehicle, demonstrating its cutting-edge eco-friendly technology.

Established in 1967, Hyundai Motor Co. has grown into the Hyundai Motor Group which was ranked as the world’s fifth-largest automaker since 2007 and includes over two dozen auto-related subsidiaries and affiliates. Employing over 75,000 people worldwide, Hyundai Motor sold approximately 3.1 million vehicles globally in 2009, posting sales of US$41.8 billion (including overseas plants, using the average currency exchange rate of 1,276 won per US dollar). Hyundai vehicles are sold in 193 countries through some 6,000 dealerships and showrooms. Further information about Hyundai Motor and its products are available at www.hyundai.com.